1971–72 Detroit Pistons season

The 1971–72 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 24th season in the NBA and 15th season in the city of Detroit.[1] The team played at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit.

1971–72 Detroit Pistons season
Head coach
General managerEd Coil
Owner(s)Fred Zollner
ArenaCobo Arena
Results
Record26–56 (.317)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Midwest)
Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWJBK
RadioWXYZ
< 1970–71 1972–73 >

The Pistons finished with a 26-56 (.317) record, 4th place in the Midwest Division. The team was led guards Dave Bing (22.6 ppg) and Jimmy Walker (21.3 ppg, NBA All-Star) and center Bob Lanier (25.7 ppg, 14.2 rpg, NBA All-Star).[2] The season began with Butch van Breda Kolff as coach. He resigned 10 games into the season, replaced briefly by player Terry Dischinger before Earl Lloyd was named as a permanent replacement, as the team dropped from 45 wins the previous season to 26 in the 1971–72 season.[3]

Draft picks

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RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
111Curtis RoweForward  United StatesUCLA
16224Isaiah WilsonGuard  United StatesBaltimore

Roster

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PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
PG21Bing, Dave6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg)1943-11-24Syracuse
C20Davis, Jim6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)225 lb (102 kg)1941-12-18Colorado
SF43Dischinger, Terry6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)189 lb (86 kg)1940-11-21Purdue
PF31Hewitt, Bill6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg)1944-08-08USC
PG30Komives, Howard6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg)1941-05-09Bowling Green
C16Lanier, Bob6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)250 lb (113 kg)1948-09-10St. Bonaventure
SG26Marlatt, Harvey6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg)1948-08-26Eastern Michigan
SF23Mix, Steve6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg)1947-12-30Toledo
PF51Mueller, Erwin6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)230 lb (104 kg)1944-03-12San Francisco
SF8Norwood, Willie6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg)1947-08-08Alcorn State
SF14Quick, Bob6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)215 lb (98 kg)1946-03-05Xavier
PF18Rowe, Curtis6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg)1949-07-02UCLA
SG24Walker, Jimmy6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)1944-04-08Providence
SG10Wilson, Isaiah6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg)1948-05-31Baltimore
Head coach

Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: December 10, 1971

Regular season

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Season standings

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks6319.76831–527–125–213–5
x-Chicago Bulls5725.695629–1226–122–112–6
Phoenix Suns4933.5981430–1119–200–27–11
Detroit Pistons2656.3173716–259–301–14–14
#
Team W L PCT
1z-Los Angeles Lakers6913.841
2y-Milwaukee Bucks6319.768
3x-Chicago Bulls5725.695
4x-Golden State Warriors5131.622
5Phoenix Suns4933.598
6Seattle SuperSonics4735.573
7Houston Rockets3448.415
8Detroit Pistons2656.317
9Portland Trail Blazers1864.220
z, y – division champions
x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

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1971–72 NBA Records
TeamATLBALBOSBUFCHICINCLEDETGSWHOULALMILNYKPHIPHOPORSEA
Atlanta2–40–44–20–53–34–23–23–21–40–52–33–13–33–24–01–4
Baltimore4–22–23–31–44–21–53–21–43–21–40–52–44–04–13–12–3
Boston4–02–26–03–24–25–15–02–35–01–42–33–36–02–34–02–3
Buffalo2–43–30–61–33–34–22–41–30–40–40–41–53–30–42–40–4
Chicago5–04–12–33–13–14–05–13–35–11–32–43–24–15–16–02–3
Cincinnati3–32–42–43–31–36–22–32–30–41–40–52–22–22–32–20–5
Cleveland2–45–11–52–40–42–61–30–42–21–30–41–52–40–44–20–4
Detroit2–32–30–54–21–53–23–10–53–31–41–51–41–42–42–20–4
Golden State2–34–13–23–13–33–24–05–05–11–52–22–34–12–34–24–2
Houston4–12–30–54–01–54–02–23–31–51–50–50–54–11–34–23–3
Los Angeles5–04–14–14–03–14–13–14–15–15–14–14–15–04–26–05–1
Milwaukee3–25–03–24–04–25–04–05–12–25–01–42–34–14–26–06–0
New York1–34–23–35–12–32–25–14–13–25–01–43–23–31–43–13–2
Philadelphia3–30–40–63–31–42–24–24–11–41–40–51–43–31–42–24–1
Phoenix2–31–43–24–01–53–24–04–23–23–12–42–44–14–16–03–2
Portland0–41–30–44–20–62–22–42–22–42–40–60–61–32–20–60–6
Seattle4–13–23–24–03–25–04–04–02–43–31–50–62–31–42–36–0

Game log

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1971–72 Game log
#DateOpponentScoreHigh pointsRecord
1October 12@ New York91–84Bob Lanier (29)1–0
2October 15Los Angeles132–103Bob Lanier (25)1–1
3October 17N Houston99–112Jimmy Walker (38)2–1
4October 19@ Portland101–99Bob Lanier (44)3–1
5October 22@ Phoenix116–109Jimmy Walker (37)4–1
6October 23@ Golden State109–115 (OT)Jimmy Walker (28)4–2
7October 26Houston104–103Bob Lanier (38)4–3
8October 27@ Baltimore98–128Jimmy Walker (19)4–4
9October 29Baltimore105–119Jimmy Walker (26)5–4
10October 30@ Atlanta104–99Jimmy Walker (33)6–4
11November 5@ Boston102–103Jimmy Walker (34)6–5
12November 6@ Milwaukee78–106Bob Lanier (22)6–6
13November 10Portland122–139Jimmy Walker (31)7–6
14November 12@ Philadelphia101–115Bob Lanier (26)7–7
15November 13@ New York105–127Jimmy Walker (24)7–8
16November 16Golden State122–101Jimmy Walker (30)7–9
17November 18Phoenix126–128Bob Lanier (37)8–9
18November 20@ Buffalo105–96Jimmy Walker (35)9–9
19November 23Milwaukee112–104Bob Lanier (28)9–10
20November 25@ Phoenix103–122Howard Komives (17)9–11
21November 26@ Los Angeles113–132Bob Lanier (29)9–12
22November 27@ Seattle102–124Bob Lanier (26)9–13
23December 1Atlanta117–103Jimmy Walker (27)9–14
24December 3Houston112–113Jimmy Walker (32)10–14
25December 7Portland131–130 (OT)Jimmy Walker (44)10–15
26December 9Chicago107–110Bob Lanier (35)11–15
27December 10@ Cleveland111–112Bob Lanier (35)11–16
28December 11Philadelphia118–111Bob Lanier (26)11–17
29December 14Seattle103–86Bob Lanier (35)11–18
30December 16Cincinnati101–107Jimmy Walker (34)12–18
31December 17@ Phoenix102–123Bob Lanier (20)12–19
32December 18@ Golden State102–129Jimmy Walker (26)12–20
33December 19@ Portland113–114Jimmy Walker (35)12–21
34December 21@ Chicago92–127Jimmy Walker (22)12–22
35December 22Cleveland94–104Bob Lanier (34)13–22
36December 25Milwaukee118–120 (OT)Bob Lanier (35)14–22
37December 28New York119–100Dave Bing (21)14–23
38December 30Golden State128–122Dave Bing (30)14–24
39January 2@ Houston109–107Jimmy Walker (26)15–24
40January 4Philadelphia131–127Jimmy Walker (31)15–25
41January 5@ Baltimore89–111Komives, Lanier (15)15–26
42January 7Cincinnati132–151Bob Lanier (29)16–26
43January 8@ Milwaukee119–136Bob Lanier (28)16–27
44January 9Buffalo96–101Jimmy Walker (35)17–27
45January 11Los Angeles123–103Bob Lanier (42)17–28
46January 14@ Boston94–108Jimmy Walker (25)17–29
47January 15Philadelphia131–121Bob Lanier (30)17–30
48January 21Baltimore102–107Jimmy Walker (37)18–30
49January 23Houston109–107Dave Bing (32)18–31
50January 26Milwaukee120–94Dischinger, Lanier (15)18–32
51January 28@ Atlanta106–124Dave Bing (20)18–33
52January 29Boston124–112Jimmy Walker (30)18–34
53January 30@ Chicago99–109Bob Lanier (24)18–35
54February 1@ New York106–115Bob Lanier (42)18–36
55February 2Cleveland108–133Dave Bing (33)19–36
56February 4@ Philadelphia118–113Jim Davis (31)20–36
57February 5@ Cincinnati132–133 (OT)Bob Lanier (38)20–37
58February 9New York126–102Jimmy Walker (24)20–38
59February 11@ Buffalo88–95Bob Lanier (31)20–39
60February 12Buffalo87–113Willie Norwood (24)21–39
61February 13@ Cleveland136–121Dave Bing (38)22–39
62February 15Atlanta113–105Bob Lanier (28)22–40
63February 18Chicago122–97Bob Lanier (26)22–41
64February 20Phoenix121–107Dave Bing (25)22–42
65February 22@ Los Angeles135–134 (OT)Dave Bing (33)23–42
66February 23@ Seattle96–97Bob Lanier (31)23–43
67February 24@ Golden State106–116Bob Lanier (26)23–44
68February 26@ Houston106–122Bob Lanier (28)23–45
69February 29@ Milwaukee113–131Bob Lanier (35)23–46
70March 1Seattle116–102Bob Lanier (32)23–47
71March 3Boston125–96Bob Lanier (32)23–48
72March 7Phoenix129–121Bob Lanier (42)23–49
73March 12N Baltimore97–102Curtis Rowe (28)23–50
74March 14Los Angeles129–116Bob Lanier (35)23–51
75March 17Atlanta112–121Bob Lanier (32)24–51
76March 18@ Buffalo103–116Bob Lanier (37)24–52
77March 19Chicago115–107Bing, Lanier (25)24–53
78March 21Cincinnati117–120Bob Lanier (33)25–53
79March 22@ Cincinnati130–135Bob Lanier (31)25–54
80March 24Buffalo105–112Dave Bing (27)26–54
81March 25@ Chicago105–121Jimmy Walker (23)26–55
82March 26@ Boston120–133Dave Bing (24)26–56

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 1971–72 Detroit Pistons
  2. ^ "1971-72 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats".
  3. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 57: The 1971-72 Detroit Pistons". September 22, 2011.